212,000 (Nation of Oklahoma 2023)
79-486: The Tupelo Automobile Museum was located in Tupelo, Mississippi . This museum had over one hundred cars. Consisting of the late Frank Spain's personal collection which totalled 150 vehicles, the cars ranged from antique, rare, and celebrity and were displayed in chronological order to illustrate the history of automotive design and innovation. The museum closed in 2019. The museum had over one hundred cars on display. Some of
158-669: A Native American people originally based in the Southeastern Woodlands , in what is now Mississippi and Alabama . The Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language . Today, Choctaw people are enrolled in four federally recognized tribes : the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma , Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians , Jena Band of Choctaw Indians in Louisiana, and the Yowani Choctaws enrolled under
237-551: A Choctaw Dictionary Grammar of the Choctaw Language. Revised additions include contributions from American historian Henry S. Halbert , who was also a fluent Choctaw speaker, and Anthropologist John R. Swanton. Choctaw or Chahta, as it is called in the native language, is closely related to the Chickasaw language. Some linguists consider Choctaw and Chickasaw to be dialects of a singular original language. This idea
316-412: A male householder with no wife present, and 22.5% had a female householder with no husband present. 32.2% were non-family households, with 28.4% had a householder living alone and 3.8% having a householder not living alone. In addition, 39.7% of householders were living with related children under 18 and 60.3% with no related children under 18. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size
395-576: A people in the 16th century and had developed at least three distinct political and geographical divisions prior to European contact: the western Okla Falaya ("Long People"), the eastern Okla Tannap ("People on the Other Side"), and the southern Okla Hannali ("Six Towns People"). Eventually these different groups would create distinct, independent alliances with nearby European powers. The Choctaw were first noted by Europeans in French written records of
474-635: A population of 140,081 in 2017. Indigenous peoples, including the Chickasaw and Choctaw , occupied the area prior to European settlement. The French and British traded with these indigenous peoples and tried to form alliances with them. The French established towns in Mississippi mostly on the Gulf Coast. At times, the European powers came into armed conflict. On May 26, 1736, the Battle of Ackia
553-703: A total of 1,931 students enrolled during the 2018–2019 school year. Some portions of Tupelo are zoned to the Lee County School District . For post-secondary education, the city has satellite campuses of the University of Mississippi , Itawamba Community College , and the Mississippi University for Women . The local daily newspaper is the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal . Tupelo
632-576: A total population of 30,000). Jedidiah Morse estimated the Choctaw at 25,000 people in about year 1820. A census taken in 1830, shortly before the removal , reported a total population of 19,554. A report by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs dated 25 November 1841 indicates that by then 15,177 Choctaws had already moved to Oklahoma ( Indian Territory ). Few thousand more emigratted to the west in subsequent years. The Indian Office in 1856 reported
711-560: A winter house, which latter was made circular, and was also known as the 'hot house'. The colorful dresses worn by today's Choctaw are made by hand. They are based on designs of their ancestors, who adapted 19th-century European-American styles to their needs. Today many Choctaw wear such traditional clothing mainly for special events. Choctaw elders, especially the women, dress in their traditional garb every day. Choctaw dresses are trimmed by full diamond, half diamond or circle, and crosses that represent stickball sticks. Choctaw stickball ,
790-528: Is Todd Jordan. The Tupelo Council is made up of seven representatives, each elected from single-member districts . They annually elect the president of the council on a rotating basis. In 2021, the President of the Tupelo City Council is Travis Beard. Other council members are Janet Gaston, Rosie Jones, Chad Mims, Buddy Palmer, Lynn Bryan, and Nettie Davis. Tupelo Public School District is
869-494: Is a city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi , United States. Founded in 1860, the population was 37,923 at the 2020 census . It is the 7th most populous city in Mississippi and is considered a commercial, industrial, and cultural hub of northern Mississippi . Tupelo was incorporated in 1870. The area had earlier been settled as "Gum Pond" along the Mobile and Ohio Railroad . On February 7, 1934, Tupelo became
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#1732780861542948-477: Is also served by the weekly Lee County Courier . Tupelo is home to three television stations serving the 133rd-ranked designated market area among 210 markets nationwide as determined by Nielsen Media Research : WTVA (9), an NBC and ABC affiliate; and WLOV (27), a CW affiliate. Both stations are located on Beech Springs Road and were controlled by Frank K. Spain until his death on April 25, 2006. The Christian fundamentalist American Family Association
1027-491: Is known of the Choctaw culture comes from oral traditions and the obvious participation of the Choctaw people in the wider Southeastern Ceremonial Complex . From at least the 16th century until the present-day a definable Choctaw culture has been expressed through rich traditions of song, dance, dress, beading, pottery, basketry, and stickball. Choctaw people maintain their ancient traditions in their personal and daily lives as well as participating in community events. One example
1106-731: Is located in Tupelo, and operates the national American Family Radio network and the OneNewsNow news service. Tupelo is served by BNSF Railway and Kansas City Southern Railway for freight transportation via rail. U.S. Route 45 , U.S. Route 78 , U.S. Route 278 , and Natchez Trace Parkway run through Tupelo; Interstate 22 runs north of the city on an east–west route. The city is served by Tupelo Regional Airport , with service on Contour Airlines . Choctaw 11,000 (Mississippi Band 2020) The Choctaw ( Choctaw : Chahta Choctaw pronunciation: [tʃahtá(ʔ)] ) are
1185-527: Is supported by Choctaw and Chickasaw origin stories which both state that the Choctaw and Chickasaw people arose out of a singular ancestral people. The Choctaw language is at the heart of Choctaw tribal culture, tradition, and identity. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma currently offers courses in the Choctaw language. Choctaw is regularly spoken as part of daily life on the Mississippi Choctaw reservation. Although Choctaw had begun to diminish in
1264-474: Is that of Le Page du Pratz who estimated the Choctaw at 25,000 warriors (and therefore around 125,000 people) in year 1718. Other estimates from that time period were usually lower, but it is possible that they represented only a part of the tribe. Similar figures were given by St. Denis who estimated the Choctaw at 18,000 warriors (or 90,000 people) in 1714 and by W. Bull who estimated them at 16,000 warriors (or 80,000 people) in 1738. According to B. R. Carroll
1343-633: Is the mid-summer Choctaw Indian Fair hosted by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. This event hosts Choctaw people from all over world and includes hospitality and events such as cooking, entertainment, dancing, and stickball. The Choctaw culture is an ancient culture that continues to thrive within the nations and communities of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma in Oklahoma, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians in Mississippi,
1422-775: The 20th century it remains a living language and in recent years has shown a resurgence among the people of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, and the Yowani Choctaws. The written Choctaw language is based upon the English version of the Roman alphabet and was developed in conjunction with the "civilization program" of the United States in
1501-832: The Elvis Presley Birthplace and the 10,000-seat Cadence Bank Arena , the largest multipurpose indoor arena in Mississippi. Tupelo is the only city in the Southern United States to be named an All-America City five times, most recently in 2015. Its Main Street program, Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association, was the winner of the national Main Street 's Great American Main Street Award in 2020. The Tupelo micropolitan area contains Lee, Itawamba , and Pontotoc counties and had
1580-647: The Indigenous peoples of South America . The ancestral people of the Choctaw and other indigenous peoples in North America have participated in the evolution of their respective North American cultures for hundreds and even thousands of years. However, the Choctaw people as they are known today are believed to have coalesced during the 16th century . The original peoples involved in this coalescence likely formed in Alabama and were made up of populations such as
1659-573: The Jena Band of Choctaw Indians in Louisiana, and the Yowani Choctaws in Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana, and in Oklahoma as part of the Caddo Confederacy. The traditional Choctaw tribal structure prioritized two distinct moieties : Imoklashas (elders) and Inhulalatas (youth). Each moiety had several iksas or clans and in rare cases a totemic clan. Identity for the Choctaw people was established first by moiety and second as part of
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#17327808615421738-571: The Mother goddess was also reflected in their religious and spiritual reverence for the sacred mound of Nanih Waiya which is known as the "Mother Mound." Nanih Waiya is a great earthwork platform mound located in central-east Mississippi. This site remains a place of female pilgrimage for prayer, song, and dance to this day. Early American writings record some of the names of the historical Choctaw iksas. Anthropologist John R. Swanton made his contribution through his 1931 book Source material for
1817-570: The Plaquemine culture . Prior to their arrival in the Americas the founding populations of both North and South American indigenous peoples are generally explained to be Beringian populations broken down into several groups which are illuminated within the fields of Archeology , Anthropology , and Genomics . Advances in DNA science and technology are allowing for many breakthroughs in the study of
1896-528: The Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak of April 5–6 in that year. The storm leveled 48 city blocks and over 200 homes, killing 216 people and injuring more than 700 persons. It struck at night, destroying large residential areas on the city's north side. Among the survivors was Elvis Presley , then a baby. Obliterating the Gum Pond neighborhood, the tornado dropped most of the victims' bodies in
1975-775: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 51.4 square miles (133 km ), of which 51.1 square miles (132 km ) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km ) (0.62%) is water. Like the rest of the state, Tupelo has a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa in the Köppen climate classification ); it is part of USDA hardiness zone 7b. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 43.4 °F (6.3 °C) in January to 82.3 °F (27.9 °C) in July, while, on average, there are 3.0 days where
2054-623: The genetic history of the Indigenous peoples of North and South America . Until modern times the connection between North and South American indigenous people was unknown in modern scholarship. The Choctaw language is a member of the Muskogean language family. The Choctaw language was well known among the American frontiersmen of the early 19th century . In 1870, a Christian Missionary and fluent Choctaw speaker Cyrus Byington published
2133-535: The 17th century. Early Spanish explorers of the mid-16th century in the Southeast encountered ancestral Mississippian culture villages and chiefs. Eventually the Spanish, French, and English would all, through their various explorers, governments, and peoples, discover the Choctaw as a complex society with firmly established tribal governments, alliances, religious practice, and culture. Early contact between
2212-429: The 1990s, the city has continued to grow due to strong healthcare, retail, and financial service industries. Tupelo is the smallest city in the United States that is the headquarters of more than one bank with over $ 10 billion in assets. Tupelo has a deep connection to Mississippi's music history , being known as the birthplace of Elvis Presley . The city is home to multiple art and cultural institutions, including
2291-678: The Americans during the American Revolution , War of 1812 , and the Red Stick War , most notably at the Battle of New Orleans . European Americans considered the Choctaw to be one of the " Five Civilized Tribes " of the Southeast. The Choctaw and the United States agreed to a total of nine treaties. By the last three, the US gained vast land cessions in the Southeast. As part of Indian Removal , despite not having waged war against
2370-608: The Chahta or Choctaw people and those who followed Chiksa' became the Chiksa' or Chickasaw people. Henry Halbert, a historian, suggests that the name is derived from the Choctaw phrase Hacha hatak (river people). This view has little support. One Choctaw origin story relates how in pre-historic times the Choctaw people lived in areas near or around what is now known as the Yucatan Peninsula . This story explains that when
2449-412: The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, followed by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, respectively. Since the 20th century, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians were federally recognized in 1945, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma in 1971, and the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians in 1995. The highest of early estimates - possibly representing the population peak -
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2528-617: The Choctaw and Europeans include the French , based on the Gulf Coast and in Louisiana; the English of the Southeast, and Spain in Florida and Louisiana during the colonial era. These interactions introduced Choctaw communities to new and extensive social interactions and trade with Europeans, including more formal interactions with the governments of Spain , France , and England . These relationships with Europeans were influential in shaping
2607-542: The Choctaw in both Indian Territory and Mississippi mostly sided with the Confederate States of America . Under the late 19th-century Dawes Act and Curtis Acts , the US federal government broke up tribal land holdings and dissolved tribal governments in Indian Territory in order to extinguish Indian land claims before admission of Oklahoma as a state in 1907. From that period, for several decades
2686-533: The Choctaw nation during their Great Famine in the mid-nineteenth century is remembered to this day and recently marked by a sculpture, ' Kindred Spirits ', in a park at Midleton, Cork. Both, the Chickasaw and the Choctaw Indians traditionally made three kinds of buildings, per family, consisting of 1) a summer house (made into an oblong square), 2) a corn house (also made into an oblong square), and 3)
2765-466: The Choctaw were reckoned by the French to be the most numerous nation of Indians in America and consisted of many thousand men. John R. Swanton enumerated a total of 102 Choctaw villages and towns in his book. Robert Rogers estimated the Choctaw at 10,000 warriors in 1775 (indicating a total population of 50,000). According to Gilbert Imlay they mustered 6,000 warriors around the year 1800 (implying
2844-535: The Native Americans held in collective stewardship. The United States systematically obtained Choctaw land for conventional European-American settlement through treaties, legislation, and threats of warfare. Although the Choctaw made treaties with Great Britain, France, Spain, and the Confederate States of America; the nation signed only nine treaties with the United States. Some treaties which
2923-520: The North American Southeastern Ceremonial Complex. The Choctaw believed in a good spirit and an evil spirit. They may have been sun, or Hvshtahli , worshippers. The historian John Swanton wrote, [T]he Choctaws anciently regarded the sun as a deity ... the sun was ascribed the power of life and death. He was represented as looking down upon the earth, and as long as he kept his flaming eye fixed on any one,
3002-468: The US made with other nations, such as the Treaty of San Lorenzo , indirectly affected the Choctaw. Reservations can be found in Louisiana ( Jena Band of Choctaw Indians ), Mississippi ( Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians ), and Oklahoma ( Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma ). The Oklahoma reservation is defined by treaty. Other population centers can be found throughout the United States. The Choctaw coalesced as
3081-644: The United States Bureau of Indian Affairs appointed chiefs of the Choctaw and other tribes in the former Indian Territory. During World War I , Choctaw soldiers served in the US military as some of the first Native American codetalkers , using the Choctaw language . Since the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, the Choctaw people in three areas have reconstituted their governments and gained federal recognition. The largest are
3160-710: The United States, conflicts increased as the US settlers tried to gain land from these nations. In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act and authorized the relocation of all the Southeast Native Americans to federal territory west of the Mississippi River , which was completed by the end of the 1830s. In the early years of settlement, European-Americans named this town "Gum Pond", supposedly due to its numerous tupelo trees, known locally as "blackgum". The city still hosts
3239-615: The United States, the majority of Choctaw were forcibly relocated to Indian Territory from 1831 to 1833. The Choctaw government in Indian Territory maintained the tri-union tradition of their homeland by having three governmental districts. Each district had its own chief, who together with the town chiefs sat on the Choctaw National Council. Those Choctaw who chose to stay in the state of Mississippi were considered state and U.S. citizens; they were one of
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3318-475: The ancestral group of people divided into two groups over different interpretations of a totem the people were consulting on how they might proceed on their journey. A leader named "Chahta" proposes that the totem indicates they should proceed to the north while another leader, Chahta's brother "Chiksa'", proposes the indication is to proceed to the east. The people chose which leader they would follow which split them into two groups. Those who followed Chahta became
3397-637: The ancient South American homeland of the Choctaw people became overcrowded many of them sailed across the sea to the land of present-day Alabama and Mississippi in North America . (Caitlin, Letters and Notes, 1841) A Choctaw origin in South America is supported by DNA evidence as well as the similarities between the beliefs, art, and customs of the people of the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex in North America and
3476-729: The annual Gumtree Arts Festival. During the Civil War , Union and Confederate forces fought in the area in 1864 in the Battle of Tupelo or battle of oldtown Creek. Designated the Tupelo National Battlefield , the battlefield is administered by the National Park Service (NPS). In addition, the Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield , about ten miles north, commemorates another American Civil War battle. After
3555-590: The beginning of the Great Depression, out of 20,000 total residents. Temple B'nai Israel was established in Tupelo in 1939. The congregation first met in Tupelo City Hall. It later rented space on South Spring Street above the Fooks' Chevrolet dealership. In 1953, it moved to space over Biggs Furniture Store. A synagogue building was dedicated in 1957, with then-Mayor James Ballard giving
3634-493: The cars were: a Tucker 48, an 1899 Knox, a 1964 Leslie, a never driven Dodge Viper, and a 1976 Lincoln Mark IV. The specially built "Leslie Special" was in the film The Great Race . The 1976 Lincoln Mark IV was once owned by Elvis Presley . The museum also featured Hispano-Suizas. 34°15′32″N 88°41′49″W / 34.25889°N 88.69691°W / 34.25889; -88.69691 Tupelo, Mississippi Tupelo ( / ˈ t uː p ə l oʊ / TOO -pə-loh )
3713-688: The city of Tupelo twice, in 2018 and 2019. He held a campaign rally for Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith on November 26, 2018, at the Tupelo Regional Airport . Nearly one year later, the president returned to Tupelo to hold another rally (this time for Governor Tate Reeves ) on November 1, 2019, at the BancorpSouth Arena . These campaign rallies were broadcast on national television and received attention from news networks, such as CNN and Fox News . The spring of 1936 brought Tupelo one of its worst-ever natural disasters, part of
3792-429: The city. The racial makeup of the city was 58.7% White , 36.8% African American , 0.1% Native American , 1.0% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 2.0% from other races , and 1.4% from two or more races. 3.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. According to the 2007–2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, there were 13,395 households, 42.8% were married couples living together, 2.6% had
3871-484: The confederacy of the Caddo Nation . The Choctaw autonym is Chahta. The proper noun "Choctaw" is an anglization of "Chahta." Anthropologist John R. Swanton reports that the Choctaw derived their name from an early leader of the Choctaw people. Swanton's report was taken directly from the Choctaw people as they recounted a story of their early history regarding a journey to seek a new homeland. On this journey,
3950-402: The date of the all-time record low for December; additionally, while highs can reach 100 °F (38 °C) several days a row during severe heat waves, several years may pass between such readings. Precipitation is high, averaging 57.74 inches (1,467 mm) annually. On average, December is the single wettest month, and February through May are also especially wet; September and October are
4029-539: The driest months. The rainiest calendar day on record is March 21, 1955 when 9.40 inches (239 mm) of rain fell; monthly precipitation has ranged from trace amounts in August 1983 to 19.89 inches (505 mm) in December 1982. Snow is uncommon, with many years receiving trace amounts or no snowfall at all, and normal (1981–2010) winter snowfall stands at 2.1 inches (5.3 cm). The most snow in one calendar day
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#17327808615424108-484: The early 19th century. Byington's alphabet and a version modified by John Swanton is seen here. The following table is an example of Choctaw text and its translation: English language : That all free men, when they form a special compact, are equal in rights, and that no man or set of men are entitled to exclusive, separate public emolument or privileges from the community, but in consideration of public services. The traditional Choctaw belief system evolved out of
4187-442: The fates of blacks injured in the tornado. Based on this, historians now estimate the death toll was higher than in official records. Fire broke out at the segregated Lee County Training School, which was destroyed. Its bricks were salvaged for other uses. The area is subject to tornadoes. On May 8, 2008 , one rated an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale struck the town. On April 28, 2014 , another large EF3 tornado struck Tupelo and
4266-505: The first city to receive power from the Tennessee Valley Authority , thus giving it the nickname "The First TVA City". Much of the city was devastated by a major tornado in 1936 that still ranks as one of the deadliest tornadoes in American history. Following electrification, Tupelo boomed as a regional manufacturing and distribution center and was once considered a hub of the American furniture manufacturing industry. Although many of Tupelo's manufacturing industries have declined since
4345-420: The first major non-European ethnic groups to be granted citizenship. Article 14 in the 1830 treaty with the Choctaw stated Choctaws may wish to become citizens of the United States under the 14th Article of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek on all of the combined lands which were consolidated under Article I from all previous treaties between the United States and the Choctaw. During the American Civil War ,
4424-471: The individuals iksa. The Choctaw people existed in a matrilineal kinship system, with children born into the iksa of their mother and the mother's iksa conferring her children's social status. Another tradition of this maternally oriented system was the role of the maternal uncle as an important figure in the lives of his sister's children. Maternal uncles acted as fathers and caretakers to the children of their sisters. The Choctaw people's adoration of woman and
4503-491: The known iksas when Swanton's aforementioned book was published are as follows: After the U.S. government had broken several treaties with the Choctaw people, and eventually when the Choctaw were forcibly removed from their traditional lands in Mississippi during the American tragedy of the Trail of Tears , the Choctaw reestablished themselves in Indian Territory according to the three most powerful districts in their lost homeland. The Choctaw named these three districts after
4582-423: The last passenger train in northeast Mississippi. In 2007, the nearby village of Blue Springs was selected as the site for Toyota 's 11th automobile manufacturing plant in the United States. In 2013 Gale Stauffer of the Tupelo Police Department died in a set up ambush following a bank robbery, possibly the first officer killed in the line of duty in the department's history. President Donald Trump visited
4661-408: The leading chiefs from each of those districts. Moshulatubbee was the name given for the district of the Okla Tannap, Apuckshunubbee was given for Okla Falaya, and Pushmataha was given for Okla Hannali. Early Choctaw communities worked communally and shared their harvest. They had trouble understanding why English settlers allowed their poor to suffer from hunger. In Ireland, the generosity of
4740-420: The mills employed only white adults and children. Reformers documented the child workers and attempted to protect them through labor laws. The last known bank robbery by Machine Gun Kelly , a Prohibition -era gangster, took place on November 30, 1932, at the Citizen's State Bank in Tupelo; his gang netted $ 38,000 ($ 849,000 in current dollar terms). After the robbery, the bank's chief teller said of Kelly, "He
4819-402: The modern Choctaw people. After the United States was formed and its settlers began to move into the Southeast, the Choctaw were among the Five Civilized Tribes , who adopted many of their ways. Many Choctaw transitioned to yeoman farming methods and incorporated European Americans and African Americans (as tribal members, prisoners, and slaves) into their society. Most Choctaw allied with
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#17327808615424898-490: The number of the Choctaws as 22,707. Emmanuel Domenech estimated the Choctaw at up to 25,000 people in about 1860. Enumeration published in 1886 counted 18,000 Choctaws in Oklahoma as of year 1884. The census of 1910 counted 15,917 Choctaws. Around years 1916–1919 there were in Oklahoma 17,488 Choctaws by blood, 1,651 by intermarriage and 6,029 freedmen, and in addition to that there were also at that time 3,099 Mississippi Choctaws and around 200 Choctaws living elsewhere. In
4977-529: The oldest field sport in North America, was also known as the "little brother of war" because of its roughness and substitution for war. When disputes arose between Choctaw communities, stickball provided a civil way to settle issues. The stickball games would involve as few as twenty or as many as 300 players. The goal posts could be from a few hundred feet apart to a few miles. Goal posts were sometimes located within each opposing team's village. A Jesuit priest referenced stickball in 1729, and George Catlin painted
5056-477: The person was safe ... fire, as the most striking representation of the sun, was considered as possessing intelligence, and as acting in concert with the sun ... [having] constant intercourse with the sun ... The word nanpisa (the one who sees) expressed the reverence the Choctaw had for the sun. Anthropologist theorize that the Mississippian ancestors of the Choctaw placed the sun at the center of their cosmological system. Mid-eighteenth-century Choctaws did view
5135-415: The pond. The storm has since been rated F5 on the Fujita scale . The Tupelo Tornado is recognized as one of the deadliest in U.S. history. The Mississippi State Geologist estimated a final death toll of 233 persons, but 100 whites were still reported as hospitalized at the time. Because the white newspapers did not publish news about blacks until the 1940s and 1950s, historians have had difficulty learning
5214-465: The remarks. Into the late 1950s several long-distance trains served Tupelo. These included the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio 's Gulf Coast Rebel (St. Louis - Mobile) and the Frisco Railroad 's Kansas City-Florida Special (Kansas City - Memphis - Jacksonville), Memphian (Memphis - Birmingham) and its Sunnyland (Kansas City to the west; sections east to Birmingham and Pensacola). The Frisco's Southland ceased running on December 9, 1967, marking
5293-438: The school district for the vast majority of Tupelo. It participates in the Chromebook Distribution Policy, which means students in grades 6 to 12 are each given a school-owned Google Chromebook to use during the school year. In 2008, Sports Illustrated ranked the high school athletic department as the third-best high school athletic program in the nation. Tupelo High School is the largest public high school in Mississippi with
5372-406: The social and ceremonial life of the Choctaw Indians . The main iksas holding significant sway over all others at the time of his writings were the Okla Falaya meaning "Long People", the eastern Okla Tannap meaning "People on the Other Side", and the southern Okla Hannali meaning "Six Towns People." Swanton reported from both personal contact and previous scholarship in his writings. The names of
5451-400: The subject. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians continue to practice the sport. Chunkey was a game using a disk-shaped stone that was about 1–2 inches in length. Players would throw the disk down a 200-foot (61 m) corridor so that it could roll past the players at great speed. As the disk rolled down the corridor, players would throw wooden shafts at it. The object of the game
5530-481: The sun as a being endowed with life. Choctaw diplomats, for example, spoke only on sunny days. If the day of a conference were cloudy or rainy, Choctaws delayed the meeting until the sun returned, usually on the pretext that they needed more time to discuss particulars. They believed the sun made sure that all talks were honest. The sun as a symbol of great power and reverence is a major component of southeastern Indian cultures. Choctaw prophets were known to have addressed
5609-420: The sun. John Swanton wrote, "an old Choctaw informed Wright that before the arrival of the missionaries , they had no conception of prayer. He added, "I have indeed heard it asserted by some, that anciently their hopaii, or prophets, on some occasions were accustomed to address the sun ..." Choctaw culture as it's understood today has its historical roots going back to the 16th century. Prior to this period what
5688-582: The surrounding communities, causing significant damage. On the night of May 2, 2021 , two EF1 tornadoes formed near town with the second being a large tornado that directly struck the northwest side of downtown, prompting a tornado emergency to be issued by the National Weather Service . Tupelo is located in northeast Mississippi, north of Columbus , on Interstate 22 and U.S. Route 78 , midway between Memphis, Tennessee (northwest) and Birmingham, Alabama (southeast). According to
5767-435: The temperature stays at or below freezing, 55 days with a low at or below freezing, and 67 days with a high at or above 90 °F (32 °C) per year. The all-time record low is −14 °F (−26 °C), set on January 27, 1940, while the all-time record high is 109 °F (43 °C), set on July 29, 1930. However, temperatures at or below 0 °F (−18 °C) are rare, having last occurred December 23, 1989,
5846-422: The war, a cross-state railroad for northern Mississippi was constructed through the town, which encouraged industry and growth. With expansion, the town changed its name to Tupelo, in honor of the battle. It was incorporated in 1870. By the early twentieth century the town had become a site of cotton textile mills , which provided new jobs for residents of the rural area. Under the state's segregation practices,
5925-576: Was 3.08. The median income for a household in the city was $ 39,415. The poverty rate was 20%. Historically, Tupelo served as a regional transportation hub, primarily due to its location at a railroad intersection. More recently, it has developed as strong tourism and hospitality sector based around the Elvis Presley birthplace and Natchez Trace . The city has also been successful at attracting manufacturing, retail and distribution operations (see 'Industry' section below). Tupelo's current mayor
6004-441: Was 8.0 inches (20 cm) on January 24, 1940, contributing to the 9.2 inches (23 cm) that fell that month, the snowiest on record; the snowiest winter was 1935–36 with 14.8 inches (38 cm). As of the 2020 United States Census , there were 37,923 people, 14,751 households, and 9,648 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2010, there were 35,456 people, 13,602 households, and 8,965 families residing in
6083-456: Was fought near the site of present-day Tupelo; British and Chickasaw soldiers repelled a French and Choctaw attack on the then-Chickasaw village of Ackia. The French, under Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville , governor of French Louisiana , had sought to link Louisiana with Acadia and the other northern colonies of New France . In the early 19th century, after years of trading and encroachment by European-American settlers from
6162-659: Was the kind of guy that, if you looked at him, you would never thought he was a bank robber." During the Great Depression , Tupelo was electrified by the new Tennessee Valley Authority , which had constructed dams and power plants throughout the region to generate hydroelectric power for the large, rural area. The distribution infrastructure was built with federal assistance as well, employing many local workers. In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt visited this "First TVA City". Tupelo had only 20 Jewish residents at
6241-419: Was to strike the disk or prevent your opponents from hitting it. Other games included using corn, cane, and moccasins. The corn game used five to seven kernels of corn. One side was blackened and the other side white. Players won points based on each color. One point was awarded for the black side and 5–7 points for the white side. There were usually only two players. Land was the most valuable asset, which
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